Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Personal Note: As some of you know, I had surgery on my right hand in July. Having gone through three successive casts/braces I’m on my final one that with any luck at all, will be removed on August 20, depending on what the surgeon decides. I’ll be posting something on Instagram (follow me at @joefarace) that day to tell you know how it goes…
How I made this shot: To me the best part of attending car shows is meeting and talking with the car’s owners. I had a lovely chat with the owner of this immaculate 1950’s era Porsche 356A. Olympus Pen F with M.14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens at 42mm with an exposure of 1/250 sec at f/10 and ISO 200.
In addition to physical therapy, I decided to give myself some photo therapy during the time when I have the final version of a brace on my index—yes, it’s my shutter release—finger and get the rest of my fingers used to working the way they used to. The subject I chose was cars* and the camera I selected for this therapy was an Olympus Pen F.
At 15.3 oz, the Pen F is far from lightweight; Olympus’s E-M5 mirrorless camera weighs in at 14.99 oz, so it’s lighter than the Pen F. But the compact form factor (OK and style) of the Pen F was the deciding factor(s.)
I would have liked to gone all Cartier-Bresson and use the M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8 lens but because I am a thrifty shopper it quickly sold out on Oly’s reconditioned lens Web page so I’m waiting for my ship to come it to be able to buy one. In it’s place, I used the uninspired M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens that came with my E-M5. It’s main selling point for this application was its form factor and it weighs just four ounces.
How I made this shot: You don’t often get to see a 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II and this one was pulling into the show as I was leaving. I could see that it was going to be driving behind this Ford hot rod, so I waited and just had a second or two to get them both in the same frame. I shot one frame with my Olympus Pen F and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens at 42mm with a Program mode exposure of 1/160 sec at f/7.1 and ISO 200.
While I later made a few photographs at the Parker, Colorado Cars & Coffee (see my Instagram account) these images featured were all made at the Chenango Car show and for once, I was able to get to the show early. But like all car shows this time of year, the time of day does not produce the best quality light and shooting at car shows has become a challenge for me, especially when you don’t have ten functioning fingers, but I tried, as Chief Dan George said in The Outlaw Jose Wales, to “endeavor to persevere.”
*To help with my rehab, I am also looking for a female model to work with me with some larger cameras and lighting gear in my home studio. If you or maybe you know a woman who might be interested and would like to help a photog out, please click the Contact button and let me know. No experience is necessary and I promise, we’ll have fun and make some beautiful photographs together.
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